


Oathbreakerbreaker

by DwarvenGatorade



Series: Cracks of Valdemar [6]
Category: Valdemar Series - Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crack, Gen, Undead, rationalfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:21:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25634986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DwarvenGatorade/pseuds/DwarvenGatorade
Summary: Vanyel wakes up to find that he's beenkidnappedbrought into custody byvicious psychopathall-around standup guy Leareth to betortured to deathheld accountable for his many crimes using the ancient, totally canonical magic of the Oathbreaker ritual.
Series: Cracks of Valdemar [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1813504
Kudos: 11





	Oathbreakerbreaker

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Swimmer963](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swimmer963/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Lead me into shadows once again](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17096885) by [Swimmer963](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swimmer963/pseuds/Swimmer963). 



> Major spoilers for AS42V through end of Book 5 (Lead me into shadows once again).

Blinding light and stabbing pain woke Vanyel into a groggy haze. He tried to cover his eyes, but found his hands bound by rope — his feet as well, tied spread eagle, hanging from a damp stone wall.

_:Yfandes?:_ Vanyel sent with mindspeech. _:Where am I? Is this the Senior Circle’s idea of a joke?:_

No response. Vanyel’s Othersenses were blocked as well, and his magic wasn’t working either. Or his Firestarting. Or his Fetching. Bardic gift was right out.

Three figures approached, silhouetted in the light. As Vanyel’s eyes adjusted, he saw that he recognized one of them: _Leareth._

“That’s right, _Leareth_ ,” the eerily handsome dark mage replied. “Your longtime foe; your pursuer from a distance; the Inspector Javert to your rascally Jean Valjean. I have captured you at last and brought you to justice, so that your broken oaths may come home to roost.”

“Wha...” Vanyel’s voice rasped and gave out. He went with mindspeech instead. _:What the flying fuck are you talking about?:_

_:Oh just roll with it.:_ Leareth replied with a barely perceptible wink. “Priest! The dagger!”

One of the figures produced, inevitably, a huge, wavy black dagger, and the three of them huddled around it.

“Now friends, let us begin the ritual, and recite the harms that have befallen us from this wicked man’s broken vows.” Leareth smacked the third figure on the shoulder. “Common man of good will, get us started, just like we practiced.”

The common man placed a hand on the dagger, and chanted in a low baritone. “Ooooaaaath breakerbreakerbreakerbreaker... by abusing blood magic to end the war against Karse, he tanked local grain demand and reduced my farm’s annual EBITDA-adjusted profits by 20% — breakerbreakerbreakerbreaker...”

The priest joined in with the chant a few intervals up into the mid-range. “Oooooooooaaaaath breakerbreakerbreakerbreaker... by crossing the border into Karse without state approval and murdering the high Adept in cold blood, he deprived me of my racquetball partner and led to a reinflammation of my gout — breakerbreakerbreakerbreaker...”

Finally, Leareth came in with the high notes. “Ooooooooooooooooooooooooath breakerbreakerbreakerbreaker... by crossing the border into _Hardorn_ without state approval and being extremely heroic, his “Hero of Stony Tor” ballad climbed the charts and denied the top spot to my hit single “Master the Dark” — breakerbreakerbreakerbreaker...”

Vanyel shook his head. “What a bafflingly weakass set of oath victims. Are we done here? Can someone cut me down so I can —“

A sizzling crack split the air. Streaks of lightning leapt off the blade onto the walls. A swirling circle of magic grew on the floor. Vanyel got the sense that the Oathbreaker ritual didn’t share his sense of proportionality.

“Let the Gate of Judgment open,” the three ritualistas intoned in creepy harmony.

The circle of magic became a portal, opening up onto an unspeakable pit of darkness. A hand from below grasped the portal’s edge. Then an arm broke the surface. A shambling, rotting hulk heaved itself up onto the floor; stood; and fixed its gaze on Vanyel.

It looked exactly like Tylendel.

“ _Hello, ashke.”_

All of Van’s internal organs ran cold and threw up on themselves.

“ _You cannot escape the judgment of death.”_ The creature took a step toward him. “ _You promised you would never forget me, ashke. You made a vow!”_

Vanyel strained against the ropes, trying to remember if he’d ever actually promised that while concentrating _really_ hard on not lifebonding to a zombie. “Okay so we shouldn’t have to argue about this in front of _Leareth_ , but I super never forgot about you! Ask anyone! I’ve been tortured about it constantly for decades!”

The creature lurched forward again. “ _Ah, but what about that time you went whitewater rafting in k’Treva, huh? You forgot about me, Oathbreaker.”_

“For like five minutes!”

Zombie Tylendel reached out a gnarled hand and gripped Vanyel’s throat. “ _Then five minutes of death should hold you to account.”_

Vanyel was unable to sputter out a reply. He kicked and struggled, but the creature’s unnatural strength was too much to overcome. As his vision went dark, Vanyel sent a silent prayer to all the gods: _screw this dumb ritual._

A shattering sound like breaking glass, and then a violent wind knocked the creature back. Vanyel gasped for air, and his vision hazily returned. He saw a beautiful hooded figure in white, shimmering for a brief moment in the corner of the room. The Shadow Lover seemed to wink and shoot him a finger gun. _I got you, kid._

The rotting monster was sucked/blown back by the rushing wind, and balanced on the portal’s edge. It pointed a dead finger at Vanyel. “ _You will be mine, ashke!”_

“Oopsie doopsie!” Leareth bobbled the dagger into the air, where it got caught up in the whirlwind, went around the room three times, and proceeded to stab Zombie Tylendel right in the heart. Creature, dagger, and remaining ritual energy were all dragged back into the beyond, and the portal itself vanished in a puff of ether and ash.

The chamber was silent.

“Welp,” Leareth said. “That’s that. Let’s go play some racquetball. You two go ahead, I’ll catch up.”

The priest and the common man closed the door behind them.

Leareth clasped his hands behind his back and stood up to full height. : _Thank you for your cooperation, Herald Vanyel. I’m pleased your get-out-of-death-free wildcard carried the day.:_

_:I’ll have you know this was extremely traumatizing.:_ Vanyel sent.

_:You see,:_ Leareth sent, pacing toward him, _:in my earliest days, I broke oaths like it was going out of style. Then, unfortunately, it did.:_

_:Like, dead-lover-strangling-me traumatizing.:_

_:Could the Oathbreaker ritual be used to claim my soul for deeds done whilst in a previous body? I was in no hurry to find out. But now...:_

_:I’m just saying I might sue you for damages after this is all over.:_

Leareth flicked out a switchblade and held it inches from Vanyel’s throat. “Oath breakerbreakerbreakerbreaker...” He trailed off.

_:Nothing.:_ Leareth slashed one rope binding Vanyel to the wall. _:No spark.:_ Slash. _:No catch of magic.:_ Slash. _:Thanks to you, the ritual of the Oathbreaker... is broken.:_

Leareth cut the final rope, then tossed the switchblade into the corner. Vanyel crumpled to the floor.

_:I trust you can find your way back to Haven on your own. Today’s events have unlocked other matters that require my attention.:_

The dark mage climbed the stairs and stood at the door out of the dungeon. Vanyel staggered to his feet. _:I’m going to stop you, Leareth. If we can’t find a compromise, or a third way... I’ll stop you. I’ll do whatever it takes.:_

Leareth turned and stared into Vanyel’s eyes. _:Oh, I’m counting on it.:_

_FIN_


End file.
